Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 17, 2017)

Though Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra prefer to keep mum about their relationship, their real-life chemistry finds frequent takers on the big screen. Unlike reports that suggested the duo would star in 'Aashiqui 3' next, hitlist has learnt that Alia and Sid have given their nod to 'Kapoor & Sons' (2016) director Shakun Batra's upcoming film.

Batra is currently busy with the pre-production of the romantic and slice-of-life film. A unit hand informs, "Alia and Sid met Shakun and heard the script right after they returned from their Amsterdam trip. They liked the concept and seemed excited to work with Shakun again. Though they haven't signed on the dotted line yet, they have given their nod verbally."

A source adds, "It's a breezy film (produced by Karan Johar) which will not require more than 40 days of shoot. Shakun will do the recce next week and zero in on the locations."

Meanwhile, Alia recently finished shooting for 'Badrinath Ki Dulhania' with Varun Dhawan and Sidharth almost finished 'Reloaded'.

Shakun remained unavailable for comment till the time of going to press.